Category: Dresses

Pippa Middleton arrived at St. George’s Chapel for Saturday’s royal wedding in a $695 green-and-pink floral dress by British brand The Fold.

But while her look fit right in with the ceremony’s unofficial color palette — both Queen Elizabeth II and Meghan Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, also wore shades of green — Middleton, 34, is drawing some rather uncanny comparisons on social media, due to her dress’s striking resemblance to a container of Arizona iced tea.

Comparisons have been drawn between the wedding dresses of Princess Mary of Denmark and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle.

It might not be long since the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex happened but Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark is returning top results in Google. Why? Well, not a small handful of commentators have noted its similarity to the Duchess of Cambridge’s custom Givenchy gown, designed by Clare Waight Keller and ooh-ed over by billions of people yesterday.

But let’s not go crying copycat in too quick of a hurry. Firstly, Clare Waight Keller certainly would have been aware of iconic royal wedding dresses throughout history when she went to work on the gown and then would have worked around Markle herself; her taste, her shape, melding it with her own sensibilities honed at Calvin Klein, Gucci, Chloé and now Givenchy.

It is not an accusation, and nor should it be. Those well-versed in royal, and indeed fashion, -history should know that appropriation is an inevitability and originality near-impossible. What is fresh, and what has been executed here with a contemporary flavor, is a timeless dress, matched with the accessories that ground her look in her specific context. The veil, reflecting the 53 Commonwealth countries in hand-embroidered flora, the tiara a gesture from the Queen and a tie to British Royal History, the shape, a nod to a silhouette favored by Hubert de Givenchy’s during the decade of the French house’s founding nearing 70 years ago.

If we were to nitpick, Mary’s was off-white, duchesse satin, with cascading ruffles and panelled lace underlay by Danish designer Uffe Frank. Markle’s was a brighter lily white, with no lace and no ruffles. The Crown Princess of Denmark’s neckline has a slight scoop, rather than straighter bateau as in Markle’s, again though, if we’re being fussy.

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (left) and Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle on their wedding days, in dresses that have drawn inevitable comparisons

A bateau neckline? Nothing new. White silk? Certainly not. But that it was tailored and tweaked to suit Markle personally, paired with the right accessories and a complementary veil by an experienced tastemaker in Clare Weight Keller make it envy-inducing. Comments that she won’t be setting trends will most definitely be proved wrong – trends don’t have to be new (can you say ‘florals’?). Dressmakers underestimating the power and visibility of the Royal wedding will be caught short. It isn’t that it’s groundbreaking, it is alluring because it is in fact so enduring, and simple styles in fashion are those that do not suffer being dated. “The dress epitomises a timeless minimal elegance referencing the codes of the iconic House of Givenchy,” as Kensington Palace described. “The slim three-quarter sleeves add a note of refined modernity.” We tend to agree.

Sure, you might say the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was entirely about “love” and “bringing the nation together”. NO. WRONG. It was entirely about who wore what (and which of Harry’s ex girlfriends would show up, and will anyone make a supreme, global embarrassment of themselves by sitting in the wrong seat).

I’m here to help you with the who wore what, because if you were anything like me last night you were 40 sheets to the wind on Pimm’s and screaming at that lovely but delusional bishop to shut the fuck up, so you probably missed all the good shit. Here we go.

Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Just quietly I don’t know shit about the royals or their fancy-pants socialite mates, but this is apparently Fiona Shackleton and she looks DAMN good. I mean yes, it’s all extremely matchy-matchy but old folks like to do that shit and if you’re gonna match your entire ensemble, at least make it in an array of complementary shades like Fiona has.

Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

These people didn’t get names on Getty and ceebs googling, but I really like this tea dress. The pattern is beaut, the shape is extremely flattering and her hat is only mildly offensive.

Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Not everyone will agree with me here but sue me – I’ve got a bit of a Marie Antoinette obsession and the velvet/ruffle vibe is doing it for me here. Love the colour, love that it’s a bit of a point of difference, choosing to purposely ignore the mollusc fascinator.

Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The fascinator was one of my most hated, but the dress is one of my faves. Yeah, yeah – it’s basically a Realisation Par/Auguste The Label frock but I love both of those brands. Quick tip – if you’re even hating the fuck out of your body (stop that but also it bloody happens sometimes to the lot of us) and you have to go to something fancy, buy a wrap dress. They NEVER FAIL YOU. This gal probably ate 4 Big Macs last night because her boyfriend was being a fuckhead and she also had a serious case of PMS, but you wouldn’t know it bc THE WRAP DRESS FORGIVES ALL. I’m serious.

Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

GUYS I totally forgot about Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford, and their cute romantic story about how they were childhood besties who fell in love as adults. Anyway, that aside they both look smokin’ here – love the long coat (tails? haha who cares!) on Marcus and Carrie’s tea dress is the best of all the (numerous) wedding tea dresses we saw.

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Petition for Tom Hardy to NEVER SHAVE HIS HEAD AGAIN, I barely recognised His Royal Hotness sans hair, but also mad props to his wife for killing the fashion game with that dress and – dare I say it – that hat. It’s zesty but appropriate, I love it.

Credit: Ian West – WPA Pool/Getty Images

I mean, it’s Posh and Becks. You knew she was going to show up in some insanely structured, bordering-on-office-wear outfit that should be boring but instead is amazing, and he was going to look like a snack in a v. British suit, and that’s exactly what they did.

Ian West – WPA Pool/Getty Images

My MVP, my MVP, my MVP. Gina Torres – one of Meghan’s co-stars on Suits, had the best dress, the best hat, the best everything. Okay, slightly less points bc the hat is essentially an oversized fedora but given there were so many that were worse, she’s forgiven. And THE DRESS. That colour? The sheer! The pattern! Dead.

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Is Amal even human? She’s not, right. She’s like the Second Coming of Christ and we are all oblivious to it. Like you can’t be THAT good a human and THAT smart and THAT beautiful and also be well dressed. Something is going on.

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Is it just me or do you get a little evil tingle in your heart about Harry’s two most important exes (this is Cressida Bonas, btw) going to his wedding? Idk, it’s gross but I get the tingle. Anyway, this is how you show up to your ex’s wedding – you look hot, but not TOO hot, and you absolutely wear the zestiest outfit you own bc if you start crying later, everyone will be distracted by the pattern on your dress.

Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

This lady is called Lady Kitty Spencer, and god knows why the Brits insist on stupid children’s names well into adulthood – see also “Bunny”, “RoRo” and “Willy”. Anyway, I hate the material of this dress but for some reason – maybe it’s the great hat, maybe it’s the fantastic accessories… I like it?

Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Look at these women all together and they’re a vision. Look separately and only navy dress (one of my fave looks btw) and floral dress are killing it. I don’t even like Priyanka Chopra’s suit thing. But together – magnifique.

Credit: Ian West – WPA Pool/Getty Images

I’m such a sucker for vintage 60’s and 70’s vibes, and this dress has that in spades. Plus I like the shoes even though they’re a bit strange.

Credit Ian West – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Old British folk love these weird suit-coat-dresses, and apparently Kate Middleton’s mum is one of those folks. I’m generally not a fan of the style but she works it well with all the matchy-matchy. Like I said, the old people love the matchy-matchy!

Credit: Chris Radburn – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Serena looked SO good except for her dumb hat thing. But SO FUCKING GOOD OTHERWISE, right?

Credit: Ian West- WPA Pool/Getty Images

I’m obsessed with this green dress but I’m horrified by those white sunglasses. WHY ARE YOU WEARING SUNGLASSES AT A ROYAL WEDDING MATE.

Credit: Ian West – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Who bloody knew Patrick J. Adams from Suits was married to PLL’s Troian Bellisario? Not bloody me! Troian looks a bit beige (well, she is wearing entirely beige) but IDK, maybe it’s the fringe teamed with the dress giving it serious Jackie O 60’s vibes but I’m into it.

Credit: Ian West – WPA Pool/Getty Images

This hat needs to be binned but goddamn how good is maroon. Burgundy? Whatever, the deep wine-red shade spectrum, all v good. Also – THOSE SHOES.

Credit: Gareth Fuller – WPA Pool/Getty Images

LIZ. Fucking Queen Lizzie. I mean she has her style niche and she just sticks with it – wool coat, court shoes, expensive handbag, gloves. I might be the only one who likes lime green on Our Queen but fuck it guys, she’s like 500 years old and she can still work fluoro? Give that woman a fashion medal.

The same sunny days roll around every year, but the debate on what to wear is always a new one. In search of some much needed inspiration, we tapped influencer Lauren Johnson of @Discodaydream for her sartorial expertise. As an entrepreneur, mother, and California native, she knows what’s up when it comes to summer dressing. Plus, she’s always decked in looks that make us want to ditch our current wardrobe and start fresh. Case in point: five outfits (and her tips on how to style them), for the season.

TO A TROPICAL ISLAND

They say packing for vacation is easy (‘just throw a bikini in a bag!’), but it can be tough to find the right cover-up! A maxi dress with smart side ties allows you to wear it loose for the beach, then cinch it in for drinks at night. And don’t forget footwear. A pair of chunky white slides is both chic and comfortable. To really elevate a plain white dress, add the season’s most on-trend accessory: a basket bag. This piece is updated with a long strap.

“This dress is a versatile day-to-night piece that won’t take up valuable real estate in a suitcase.”

TO A MUSIC FESTIVAL

If contemplating another pair of denim shorts and a flower crown has you stifling a yawn, think about pairing a crop top bearing a cool back detail with printed pants, metallic-accented slides, and on-trend cat eye sunglasses. Pants are comfy and will keep you warm when the weather cools down, and a print feels fresher than suede fringing. “These pants are really comfortable and breezy, which is perfect for long days spent outside in hot summer temperatures,” says Johnson.

If you’re looking to expand your wardrobe repertoire, try the ultimate in outfit hybrids: the jumpsuit. It’s an easy one-stop-shop that is both practical and pretty, especially in white lace with statement shoulders and a cute tie. “Wearing a romper for a weekend hangout is the perfect mix of form and function,” says Johnson.” I love the feminine ruffles on this one, and the shorts allow for maximum comfort and movement.” To keep it fashion-forward, wear with gingham flatforms and sling a denim jacket over your shoulder.

There’s a reason dresses are a closet staple—they always look great, with minimal effort required. This printed wraparound number, for example, is dressy enough for cocktails with a pair of higher heels, and cool enough for a pool party when worn with slides. Finish off your look with the perfect summer beauty accents: a pinkish-gold bronzer, nude lipgloss and a spritz of your favorite fragrance.

“My summer uniform is normally a mini dress, so this is the perfect flirty party look.”

TO A WEDDING

You don’t want to outshine the bride, but a maxi dress in marigold yellow is special and standout. Skip the florals and look for a dress with interesting details—a crossover back, keyhole cutout, and pleating. The key to keeping it cool is in the accessories: Try metallic shoes with interesting details. “Pairing this dress with gold block heels plays up the warm color and keeps the look fun,” Johnson adds.

During her exceptionally fashionable visit to Cannes, Jane Fondamade time not just for a beaded duster, but for a T-shirt in support of Time’s Up. Elsewhere at Cannes, Cate Blanchett debuted an ombré take on the red carpet itself, and back in the U.S., Angela Bassettsported a thoroughly modern iteration of denim-on-denim at the Fox upfronts.

Jane Fonda

Flying out of the Nice Airport on her way home from Cannes, and representing Time’s Up while she’s at it.

Angela Bassett

Bassett represented her show 9-1-1 at the Fox upfronts in Central Park.

Blake Lively

Lively wore a Brandon Maxwell gown to accompany her husband, __ Ryan Reynolds,__ at the premiere of his new movie, Deadpool 2.

Doutzen Kroes

What better than a racing stripe to accompany a walk around Cannes?

J. Lee

Lee joined his castmates from The Orville for the Fox upfronts.

Morena Baccarin

The Deadpool 2 star made the press rounds in New York this week, including a stop by NBC.

Jennifer Connelly

Yet another of the A-list comings and goings at the Nice Airport during the Cannes Film Festival.

Sara Sampaio

The Portuguese model suggested at Cannes that maybe the summer of 2018 will be Clueless-themed.

The average American woman wears between a size 16-18, according to research. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

One of the more cringe-worthy moments in the 2006 movie, The Devil Wears Prada, about the struggles of aspiring-journalist Andy Sachs, played by Anne Hathaway, working for Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), editor of fictional Runway magazine, happens in the office cafeteria.

Andy observes to art director Nigel, played by the amazing Stanley Tucci, that all the other girls at the magazine don’t eat anything. He says, “Not since two became the new four and zero became the new two.” Andy answers that she is a size six, to which he quips, “Which is the new fourteen.”

Shame on the fat-shaming industry

That in a nutshell is all anyone needs to know about how the fashion industry views its plus-size customers: She simply doesn’t fit. The average American woman wears between a size 16-18, according to research from assistant professor Deborah Christel, at Washington State University’s Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles. She has made it her mission to wake the industry up to its inherent fat biases by teaching a class to expose “weight discrimination as a social justice issue.”

Tim Gunn, long-time chair of fashion design at Parsons The New School of Design, who went on to Liz Claiborne as chief creative officer and then gained famed as mentor on Project Runway, took the industry to task back in 2016 in a Washington Post op-ed. “Designers refuse to make clothes to fit American women. It’s a disgrace,” he wrote.

Demand for all-inclusive sizing

The industry has been slow to learn the lesson, but finally it is taking Gunn’s message to heart. Nordstrom is now expanding its plus-size selections to include 100 brands and integrating them in with its core size range, rather than segregating it into a separate “Woman’s” department, where the shopper is reminded that she doesn’t belong where the real fashion is.

The company, however, said it will still maintain a separate plus-size department for convenience, but its “size-inclusive” initiative will give size 14 shoppers access to the same styles as her size 2 shopping companion. “In our opinion, petite and plus sizes shouldn’t be considered special categories. They’re just sizes,” a company statement said. Now Nordstrom shoppers can select from extended size offerings from inclusive brands like Topshop, Rag & Bone, Theory and J. Crew’s Madewell on the same rack.

Specialty fashion retailer Express is also broadening its range of sizes from 00 to 18, but only in 130 stores out of its total base of 600 full-priced and factory stores. “What we hear constantly from consumers is the lack of fashion styles in the sizes they need. We are excited to make this first step in the journey toward a more inclusive shopping experience,” the company said in a statement.

And none too soon, with women’s fashion retail sales on a steady decline since 2012. From its zenith of $41.8 billion, it has dropped 5.6% to $39.4 billion in 2017, according to the Census Dept. Monthly Retail Trade Survey.

By contrast, the women’s plus size fashion market is on a roll: up 38% from two years ago, reports Katie Smith, retail analysis & insights director at EDITED, which provides real-time data analytics to the fashion industry. “The plus size market is the fastest-growing segment in the U.S., but it still accounts for 1.6% of the market, which is baffling when you consider 67% of women in the U.S. wear a size 14 or larger,” she says.

Women know how they want to dress; they don’t need designers to tell them

It is sad that the fashion industry had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the revolutionary idea of size inclusiveness. But the overwhelming majority of women–plus size women–are demanding it. This is a kind of disruption that the industry can actually respond to proactively, if it only is willing to embrace the new image of the modern woman.

“For too long, the industry has been entirely blinded to the fact that a consumer can be plus size and passionate about high-quality clothing and have the money to shop for it,” Smith says. “Social media has helped fuel discussion around inclusivity, acceptance and is challenging old stereotypes. The Gen Y and Z consumers are far more open-minded and inclusive than any other consumer before them. And their impact on luxury, advertising and beauty has been, and will continue to be, enormous. The increased body-positivity these consumers are creating is finally hooking the fashion industry.”

The fashion industry is now in the unfamiliar, and for many the uncomfortable position of following rather than leading the consumer. “No longer is the fashion industry able to push its agenda onto consumers, instead consumers are pulling the industry forward.”

Plus puts new demands on designers

Besides the fact that plus-size women don’t look like the women many fashion designers want to dress, designing plus-sized clothing requires greater expertise and awareness of how to dress the real woman’s body, not designers’ favorite 6-foot-tall, size-00 model.

“This is a design failure and not a customer issue,” Gunn wrote in his 2016 op-ed. “There is no reason larger women 1can’t look just as fabulous as all other women. The key is the harmonious balance of silhouette, proportion and fit, regardless of size or shape.”

Speaking to the design challenges, and opportunities, of dressing the plus-size woman, Kim Camarella-Khanbeigi, founder of Kiyonna and an early pioneer in plus-size fashion, says, “The fit is science,” she says. “You can’t just grade up and expect the style to flatter and fit the same.” She started Kiyonna in 1996 to serve the specialty retail market and moved online in 1999. Today her brand is carried by 250 stores nationwide, as well as being available on its own website, Amazon and Zappos. Kiyonna also operates a flagship store called the Upstairs Boutique in Anaheim.

Kiyonna

Mademoiselle Sapphire dress

“What’s ready for disruption is the stereotypes about the curvy customer. Styled right and wearing something that fits, she exudes attractiveness,” Camarella-Khanbeigi says, as she notes the business opportunity to dress the curvy woman is great and growing. “There is a beautiful, curvy customer counting on it.”

The look of luxury in plus size

To date, luxury brands and retailers have been the most resistant to embracing the plus-size woman. Smith reports EDITED data shows that only about 0.1% of the luxury and premium market is plus sized. “What luxury brands don’t seem to pay attention to is that plus-size shoppers are already their customers, be it of their beauty, perfume, footwear, accessories or leather goods lines, rather than apparel,” Smith says.

While it is true that affluent women are less likely than lower-income women to be plus sized, it is safe to assume that at least 25-33% or more of the nation’s affluent women don’t fit into the luxury industry’s standard 0-12 size range. The latest available data from the CDC on women’s obesity levels by income confirms this, with its finding that over one-fourth of the highest-income women (specifically women with household incomes 350% above poverty level) are classified as obese (BMI of 30 or higher) and that isn’t even counting women who are simply overweight.

Gucci for one has paid attention and offers an increasing range of styles in large and XL sizes. It will also help Nordstrom fill its racks as it broadens its plus-size offerings. Smith advises the rest of the luxury industry to wake up. The plus-size luxury fashion market is growing and these women have the means and desires to dress as fashionably as her size 0 counterpart.

“Plus-size celebrities and influencers now have very visible global platforms for voicing their frustrations with an industry that can’t dress them. With social attitudes towards inclusivity shifting rapidly, luxury brands don’t want to lag in this opportunity,” Smith declares.